Apartment Blog

Most people in the United States celebrate July 4^th with barbeques and fun in the sun with friends & family. But do you really know why the holiday is so important to our country? I read a terrific description on Kaboose that really breaks it down for kids and adults to understand the significance of this Saturday. Take a look…

Imagine how you would feel if someone older than you (maybe an older sister or brother) kept telling you what to do all of the time and kept taking more and more of your allowance. That is how the colonists felt in the years leading up to 1776. Great Britain kept trying to make the colonists follow more rules and pay higher taxes. People started getting mad and began making plans to be able to make their own rules. They no longer wanted Great Britain to be able to tell them what to do, so they decided to tell Great Britain that they were becoming an independent country.

The Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they appointed a committee to write a formal document that would tell Great Britain that the Americans had decided to govern themselves. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write a draft of the document which was officially adopted the on July 4, 1776 after some changes were made. That is why it is called “Independence Day.” Congress ordered that all members must sign the Declaration of Independence and they all began signing the “official” copy on August 2, 1776.

As you may know, the Declaration of Independence is more than just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of our country’s independence and commitment to certain ideas. The signers of the Declaration of Independence wanted the citizens of the United States to be able to look at the document and immediately think of the goals we should always be working for, and about the people who have fought so hard to make these ideas possible. The people who signed the Declaration risked being hanged for treason by the leaders in Great Britain. They had to be very brave to sign something that would be considered a crime!

So every time we look at the Declaration of Independence, we should think about all of the effort and ideas that went into the document, and about the courage it took for these people to stand up for what they knew was right — independence!

On this Fourth of July, it is important for you to remember those people as well as the people who are still to this day fighting for our right to be independent; for our rights of freedom.  And that is largely done by our military countrymen. 

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            Contact:                                                                                                                             Meredith Mobley
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827     

ForRent.com launches free GPhone application

ForRent.com offers most comprehensive line of mobile products in multi-housing industry

NORFOLK, Va.-(June 29, 2009)-ForRent.com, anchor Web site of For Rent Media Solutions^TM, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has launched a ForRent.com T-Mobile G1^TM (GPhone) application. The new application is the latest addition to For Rent’s comprehensive line of mobile marketing products for apartment seekers, including the ForRent.com text messaging product, mobile Web site and iPhone^TM application.

With ForRent.com’s free GPhone application, apartment seekers can browse through thousands of apartment listings nationwide. Users can also view apartment descriptions, videos, pictures, and floor plans, save their results, and contact the property. Consumers can use touchable map pins to click on a pin representing a property and go directly to the property’s page. From the map, apartment seekers can zoom in and out to get a clearer view of the property and its proximity to surrounding apartment communities.

The GPhone runs on the new Google Android operating system and applications are distributed in the Android Market, which opened to the public on October 22. Applications are only accessible through the GPhone phone, but can be previewed at the Android Market Web site.

“Mobile marketing is quickly spreading as a leading method of communication used to engage consumers,” says Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “According to comScore Media Metrix, consumers downloaded 83 percent more mobile applications in March 2009 than in March 2008. We understand how much mobile Web impacts our consumers’ daily lives and will continue to explore opportunities with other mobile devices in the future.”

While the number of consumers downloading mobile applications continues to grow, comScore shows that, overwhelmingly, the preferred mode for accessing local content on a mobile device is through a mobile browser. In March 2008, 15.4 million mobile Web users accessed information via a mobile browser. By March 2009, that number jumped to 20.7 million. These numbers support the success seen by the ForRent.com mobile site. According to Omniture SiteCatalyst, an online business optimization company, the ForRent.com mobile site received more than 256,000 page views in May 2009.

The GPhone application adds to the already existing suite of mobile products offered to apartment seekers and solidifies ForRent.com as a leader in mobile marketing. Other mobile products include text messaging, launched in June 2007, the mobile Web site, launched in June 2008, and the iPhone application launched earlier this year.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers, property/apartment managers and owners, For Rent Media Solutions provides superior products, outstanding customer service, and tangible results.  For Rent Media Solutions is a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent, townhouse, condo, duplex, efficiency, studio or loft and provides a free customizable apartment search from more than 30,000 apartment listings nationwide.  For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^®, as well as ForRent.com^TM-The Magazine, and publishes 99 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide, including After 55^TM Housing & Resource Guide, and Apartamentos Para Rentar^®. For Rent Media Solutions operates four additional Web sites: ForRent.com^®, SeniorOutlook.com^TM, CorporateHousing.com^®, and ParaRentar.com^TM.  For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

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During this week of uploading apartment community videos, I noticed we had a good amount of Texas apartment communities engaging in the online video realm. And I thought, why not spotlight their new efforts with a blog posting about those communities!? So here they are!

Parkside Crossing Apartments in Austin, TX

Parkside Crossing in Austin, TX offers one, two and three bedroom apartments with fireplaces, gourmet gas cooking, covered parking and elegant landscaping with resort-like amenities. With a flair for the extraordinary, Parkside Crossing Apartments invites you to set your standards higher for fabulous apartment home living.

Sedona Springs Apartments in Austin, TX

Sedona Springs apartments, in Austin, TX, is located right off of Loop 1 South, which takes you close to all that downtown Austin has to offer. Our location puts you close to US-290, I-35, shopping and dining. Centered in the heart of Southwest Austin, Sedona Springs is the place to be.

The Parks at Walnut Apartments in Dallas, TX
A relaxed, natural setting community nestled away with shade trees awaits your arrival at the Parks at Walnut in Dallas, Texas. You’ll love coming home to all our outside recreations. Enjoy the benefits of a sparkling pools, tennis courts and sand volleyball. We are ideally located in North East Dallas and are just 20 minutes from the heart of metropolitan Dallas.

The Montecristo Apartments in San Antonio, TX

Where Tuscany meets Texas … the newest apartment community located in prestigious Stone Oak/Sonterra is now open. The Montecristo offers a Tuscan/Italian resort style ambiance with lavish interior and community amenities. Architectural features include elegant arches outlined in masonry, stucco exteriors and wrought iron railings.

If you’re interested in viewing these videos, please visit the ApartmentsForRent YouTube profile or on ForRent.com

With the current economic state many renters are looking for apartments that are ‘cheap’. While the perceived monetary gain may be tempting, it’s important to also look at the safety factors before signing a lease.You should first examine the neighborhood. You have every right to seek out information on whether or not there have been criminal activities. This includes asking the property manager or looking to local authorities. While also examining the neighborhood, you should make sure you visit the property multiples times. Plan on once during the day and at least once during the night. This will help you see how well light the area is and you’ll get a better sense of how safe you will feel when you return home from work each day.

Next, you should check the windows and doors. When you go to a model unit, chances are it’s going to be a better looking home. But check around the community when you visit. Do they tend to be in good shape? You need to also explore the locking mechanisms on the doors and windows. They should always ask when you move in, if the locks have been be changed from the previous owners. Always better to be cautious!

I would also recommend looking at the smoke detector.  This is the most valuable protection you can have-it will save your life! When you choose an apartment, be sure to check where it is located and when the batteries were replaced. Keep a schedule so you know when to change them out again.

Most apartment communities offer, as a paid service, the capability of a security system. They are a great way to protect your apartment. It scares away burglars because it increases the potential and fear of being captured and arrested by the police. But an alarm also does that without anybody getting hurt.

Lastly, protect your belongings by getting renter’s insurance! You can get quotes online by visiting the relocation page on ForRent.com.

Your apartment should be a sanctuary for you and your family, so make sure it’s a safe one.  Take these tips with you when you’re searching for apartments for rent, they’ll really be a lifesaver!

Whether you’ve made the perfect Father’s Day card or bought something from the store, you need something to put inside of it. A little sentimental phrase to tell your father exactly how much he means to you is hard to come up with on the spot. So we’ve put together a little list to help you this Father’s Day.
Take a look:

From a daughter to her father:

First guy to ever love me.
First to sweep me off my feet
or plant those scratchy whisker kisses
gently on my cheek.
First man to take me seriously.
First pal I ever had.
First guy I ever gave my heart to…..

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”  ~Elizabeth Stone

“A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again.” — Enid Bagnold

        
From a son to his father:

“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.” -Tim Russert

“Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap on a rope.” -Bill Cosby

“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” -Charles Wadsworth
               
This is something my father would particularly like:

“A father carries pictures where his money used to be.”  ~Author Unknown

If you’re anything like me, the idea of Father’s Day is a daunting one. Not because I don’t enjoy celebrating my father, I do! He’s an unbelievable man who has taught me so much and I love him dearly. But, because I am always at a loss of what to get him. What to get a man that has loved me and cared for me all these years? What to get someone who has truly been there for me whenever I needed someone? Those are the questions that always creep up when Father’s Day rolls around and I rack my brain trying to think of something. 

And of course, I want it to be something creative. Something I’ve not done before to really show him how much I appreciate him. Well after racking my brain for hours, I’ve come up with a list of five ingenious ideas (if I do say so myself).

1. Go the sentimental route. A video montage or collage of photos with you and your father (or the whole family) would really be something special for your father to receive. It’s something he can truly cherish for many years to come.
2. Make an afternoon date with him! If he would enjoy activities such as miniature golf, ice cream, lunch, then why not take him out? He deserves to have a bit of fun doing child-like things for a day!
3. Splurge for some hobby supplies. Every father has a hobby he enjoys! Whether it’s a sport like soccer, racing or maybe just fixing up cars, give him something that he would benefit from. Be careful though, you don’t want to overuse this tip as it could become predictable.
4. Bring him humor! There are a plethora of items that would fit the bill, books, trinkets, etc. In fact, I was on Barnes & Nobles web site and saw quite a few books that poke fun at ‘Dadisms’ or have cartoons to depict father-like situations. Guaranteed to make every dad grin, chuckle and laugh out loud.
5. And finally, time is all your father really wants. He enjoys spending time with you, his child. So be sure to spend good quality time, even if it’s not doing anything special, just to be with him.

This photo is something my father and I did when we were in Key West….father-daughter bonding! J